Pioneer Rayz Rally Review: Speaker for Apple Lightning Devices

Besides the Pioneer Rayz earphones and Rayz Plus earphones, Pioneer also launches another Lightning powered “appcessories” called the Rayz Rally. Its primary feature is conference speaker, but being an audio lover myself, I though it works pretty well as a portable speaker too.

Design and Unboxing

The Rayz Rally retail box comes with the speaker and a soft carrying case.

On top of the unit is the speaker with round vents and a multi-purpose smart button.

Underneath the unit is a rubber liner, and below it is another Lightning port, which allows charging of the iPhone even when Rayz Rally is connected.

The Rayz Rally does not require any phone app to run, but installing the Rayz app (same app as Rayz earphones) will get software updates. Plug it into the Lightning port and the speaker gets powered up, ready to use.

Conference Speaker

As a conference speaker, the Rally Rayz deliver a fuller sound and allows a room full of people to hear the conversation much clearer. The built-in microphone provides slight improvements on conversational clarity compared to the iPhone X mic which I used for the test. The Rayz app does come with some selectable profiles – personal, huddle, conference, on the go – that changes the mic response. For instance, conference mode will eliminate room echo, while on the go mode will reduce environmental noises.

During a conversation, the smart button works as a mute. Press once and the mic will be turned off. Press again to allow other caller to hear you.

Audio Speaker

Apart from using it as a speakerphone, the Rayz Rally is practically an external speaker, playing any audio source from any app. The Rayz Rally achieves a much fuller sound, adding midrange and a wider frequency response compared to the built-in phone speakers. The treble frequency is as good as purpose-built portable speaker, and although the bass frequency is hard of match, you can hear them pushing out in the best effort. When listening at close proximity within 10cm, the bass is audible. Even at maximum volume, the speaker do not crack under pressure, nor is there any rattling sound.

When listening to music, the smart button works as a multi-function playback controller. Press once and music will pause, press again to play. Double-tap to skip next track, triple-tap to go previous track. The app’s audio profile does not work when listening to music.

Verdict

If you frequently listen to music or watch videos over the built-in phone speaker, the Rally Rayz will be a supreme upgrade without the hassle of pairing a separate speaker or charging the speaker. When you find yourself in a situation where you need a better-sounding speaker, just take out the Rally Rayz from the pocket or the bag, plug it into the Lightning port, and enjoy elevated audio experience. If you need to charge your phone, just plug the charger to the Lightning port at the bottom of the Rayz Rally. For any Apple device fans, this is a must-have accessory to add to your arsenal of premium add-ons. For Android users, they would have to settle with a cumbersome battery-operated external speaker to get great audio.

The Rayz Rally Lightning-powered conference speaker retails for S$164, available at weareready.sg, Lazada (affiliate link), and all leading audio and electronics stores in Singapore.